Graduate school

See also

Research at the Department for Continuing Education

The Department has an active interdisciplinary research community, particularly with respect to public engagement and practitioner-based initiatives which build on the research interests of our academic staff and over 80 research students.

Key facts

Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques

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Overview

About the course

The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques aims to provide the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct effective ecological field surveys for a range of key taxa, and to analyse field survey data with confidence.

The course (taught part-time, normally over one year) is designed for a wide range of professionals needing to up-skill in: Environmental management; Environmental assessment; Biodiversity monitoring

Who the course is for

Professional ecological consultants, environmental managers and rangers, research and postgraduate students, and volunteers. The techniques covered are universal using international case studies and examples.

Many PGCert students are consultants, environmental managers and educators as well as volunteers and those looking to make a career change that are seeking flexible study combined with expert training.

Flexible learning

Offers an effective blend of face-to-face, online and experiential learning

Specialist training can fit alongside busy work schedules and commitments

Excellent opportunities to network and share practical experience and ideas

Can be taken from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Past students have joined from the UK, the USA, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe.

The course operates under the Department for Continuing Education policy on variable intensity of study which enables students to take the course over a maximum of two years if required.

Charter Status

The course can help you to apply for Chartered Status (such as Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Ecologist) and to meet relevant professional competency thresholds. Further information can be found in our Chartered status and essential skills guide.

Description

The PGCert aims to provide the high standard of expert-led training needed to design, plan and implement effective ecological field surveys from beginning to end, including handling data and reporting results.

The course supports research and professional development in the field, providing practitioners with the skills needed to effectively assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems across all biomes.

A choice of modules enables students to explore areas of interest and specialism relevant to their professional needs.

Drawing on a rich pool of expertise, teaching is conducted by a highly knowledgeable and diverse team of practitioners and academics engaged directly with ecological issues.

This five day Core Module provides a practical introduction to: Geographical Information Systems (GIS); an overview of approaches to plant and animal identification; an introduction to selected surveying techniques; University facilities and resources; and the Field Project.

It is a mix of classroom and field-based teaching, with two days spent in the field at Wytham Woods, Oxford's 'living laboratory,' with activities including the use of GPS, bird netting and ringing, and surveying bats and vegetation.

The week will build toward a formative (no credit) assessment.

Online Modules

Students take four tutor-led online modules of five weeks in duration and will take no more than 100 hours to complete. Content is roughly equivalent to one week full time study. Modules include research and discussion activities, multimedia tasks, practical exercises, revision activities and an assessment. Class sizes are small with less than 25 students.

Assessments are normally due two weeks after the final class

Module tutors usually engage online for 6 hours per week distributed across each week and will focus on particular topics, questions and activities. There is no set time to log in to accommodate students in different time zones

Teaching methods

The PGCert is taught via a mixture of face-to-face, online and experiential learning.

The online modules are also available as standalone modules, PGCert students can therefore expect to share their learning with a wide range of other professionals and researchers looking to develop their skills in a particular area

Learning resources

Learning materials are made available through the course Virtual Learning Environment ‘Moodle’, and reading is available to download or is accessible via the Bodleian Libraries’ online library which provides an excellent range of e-books and e-journals. Students are required to purchase the core text Fowler et al (1998) Practical Statistics for Field Biology for the Data Analysis module.

Assessment methods

The course is modularly assessed reflecting the learning objectives of the course.

Staff

Dr Thomas Hesselberg

Course Director and Department Lecturer

His research focuses on behavioural ecology and comparative biomechanics of invertebrates primarily using spiders and their webs as model organisms. In particular, he is interested in how behavioural plasticity has evolved to cope with the constraints imposed by a relatively limited brain capacity and with the biomechanical constraints imposed by morphological and external environmental factors as well as silk material properties.

Information on Core and Optional Module Tutors can be seen on module pages. Please use links above in the Online Module section.

IT requirements

As the course is delivered mostly online students will need access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification. Certain modules will also require an assessment produced in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Face-to-Face Week

Students are required to bring a personal laptop computer

The free open source Geographical Information Systems software 'QGIS' (installation is simple and guidance will be given during the course).

QGIS is used by many environmental scientists and employers, and further details are available at the QGIS website.

Course Tutorials

Typically conducted via Skype

Students will require suitable hardware and Internet connection to take part

Further IT Requirements

Students are required to download and install R and QED Statistics in the Data Analysis course.

(full instructions on how to download this software is available from the R website).

Access to QED Statistics is provided as part of the course, this software is not compatible with Mac or Linux operating systems.

Alternative software to QED Statistics is currently being researched; where possible, students are encouraged to use R in the Data Analysis course if they are using Mac or Linux systems.

Students wishing to use QED Statistics on Mac or Linux systems are advised by the programme developer Pisces Conservation Ltd to consider Windows emulation software, such as Bootcamp, to run a Windows system on their machine. For further information and a full system specification please visit the Pisces Conservation Ltd website.

Accommodation

Please note that accommodation and catering are not included in the course fees.

The Department offers a full residential and catering facility, with a range of both 3 and 4-star campus accommodation. 'Number 12', the Department's recently refurbished Victorian townhouse on Wellington Square, right next to Rewley House, offers superior en-suite bedrooms.

Fees

Annual fees for entry in 2018-19

Scholarships

Professional and Career Development Loans:

Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans used to pay for courses and training that help with students with their careers or help get them into work. For further details please visit this site.

Employer Sponsorship

Over 35% of students over the past few years have received significant contributions from a sponsoring employer toward all or part of their fees. Should further information be required from Oxford to support an application for funding from an employer, please contact the Programme Manager via email on est@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Instalment Plans

The course offers instalment packages to help students manage the payment of their fees. Instalment plans are confirmed and approved by the Programme Manager on an individual basis once an unconditional offer has been accepted. Typically the course expects be able to offer plans of three and seven instalments starting in August, with the final payment received before the following Easter.